Konami Opens Game Funds

On Wednesday, Konami and Monex announced that they will establish a new online finance system called Game Funds in Japan. Consumers and investors can sign up and provide funds for the company's software development. The first projects to take advantage of this are Tokimeki Memorial 3 and a new Tokimeki Memorial title (which targets female users) for the Sony PlayStation 2. The Tokimeki Memorial series is a dating simulation targeted mainly at male users that allows players to interact with and date female characters in the game.

Applications will be accepted between November 9 and December 20, and a minimum investment of 100,000 yen (about US$1000) is required. Anyone investing over the minimum will have his or her name included in the ending credits, and anyone that invests over 200,000 yen (about US$2000) will also receive a limited edition of Tokimeki Memorial 3. The total funding for this project will be limited to 12 billion yen (about US$120 million). Consumers and investors will gain a return profit - the amount is dependent on game sales - by June 30, 2003.

Tokimeki Memorial 3 and the new Tokimeki Memorial title for the PS2 will be released by the end of fiscal year 2001 in Japan.